


Trading Places

by friendlyneighborhoodirondad



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Angst, College, Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Role Reversal, always fluff, and sad peter wanting to help this sad little kid, but together they're happy, i love the idea of sad teenage tony looking up to sad adult peter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2019-11-09 09:15:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17999060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/friendlyneighborhoodirondad/pseuds/friendlyneighborhoodirondad
Summary: Spider-Man runs into a new vigilante on the streets of New York, Iron Man (*cough, cough* IronBoy). The odd pair become fast friends, and the rest is history.





	1. Getting Rusty

**Author's Note:**

> This idea's been rattling around my head for a while. It's a fun one to write, and I have a few more ideas already planned. In this fic, I think of Peter as like a mixture of MCU Peter Parker and Spider-Verse Peter B. Parker.

Peter flinches when the alarm on his bedside table goes off. "Oh come on," he groans. "I just got to bed like 20 minutes ago." He rolls over and blindly taps the screen to get it to stop. When it doesn't turn off, Peter groans louder. He lifts his head to squint at the screen. When he sees the red banner flashing across the screen, he jumps out of bed to throw on his suit. "Goddammit, kid."

It only takes a few minutes to get to midtown. It's easy to find the metal vigilante. All he had to do was follow the explosions. Peter runs the corner and races to catch the kid when the villain of the week flings the metal suit across the street. Tony sucks in surprised breath when he sees Peter's iconic red and blue suit. "Hey, _Iron Man_. Piano lessons, was it?"

"Uh, h-hey, dude."

Peter drops him when he's sure the kid will land on his feet. "Stay here while I clean up your mess."

"But sir, I-"

"I'll deal with you later."

It only takes five thwips to web up the man. He leaves his customary handwritten note for the police. Usually, Peter would walk the dangerous criminal to the police station himself, but tonight he has a certain Iron Boy to scold.

"Peter, I had that under control," the kid says once they're in the safety of Peter's apartment. The fabric Spider-Man mask lays next to the metal Iron Man helmet on the table.

"Is that so, Mr. Stark? You in your tin can getting thrown around the city?"

"Y-Yeah, obviously. It was part of my strategy."

"Even if that were true," Peter sighs, pinching his nose, "I told you to call me if you ran into something above your skill level. You're still on level 3, and that guy was like level... 100."

"Oh yeah? And what level are you?"

"Level, uh... Well, I've actually already graduated from the level system."

"What? That's not fair. You can't just assign arbitrary numbers to non-measurable attributes and then put yourself above it all."

"Why not? That's how units of measure start out. And I made it up, so whatever I say goes."

"Says the guy who 'invented' ramen on Eggo waffles," Tony mutters.

"Hey, it's good! You just have snobby, rich-kid taste buds. And stop trying to get me off track! I was in the middle of scolding you and now I'm hungry. Where was I? Oh, yeah, taking on more than you handle."

"Dude, it's no big deal. Everything's okay, nobody got hurt."

"Yeah, nobody got hurt, but you got lucky, kid. What if somebody died today?"

That quickly sobers Tony's fiery demeanor. His face falls, and his eyes drift to the floor.

"If somebody died, that's on you, right?" Peter continues, softening his voice. "I'm not saying this to scare you, I'm just being realistic. I'm trying to protect you from making the same mistakes that I did. Because death is..." A pause. "Death changes everything."

"I'm sorry," Tony whispers, knowing Peter's sensitive hearing will pick it up.

"Don't be sorry, kid. Just... call me next time. Yeah?"

"Yeah."

After a brief exchange via eye contact, Peter lets out a breath and says, "Okay, now that we're done with feelings, do you wanna watch a movie or something? I'm sure I've got something in my fridge we can heat up for a late night snack."

Tony snorts, looking grateful for the topic change. "Yeah right. You probably don't even have milk."

"...You know, I really hate it when you're right. Your teenage smugness makes it so much worse."

"It's the mix of teenager and Stark that makes my smugness so deadly. Want me to order a couple pizzas?"

"Um... You're sure your dad doesn't check his credit card bill? Because I really don't want Howard Stark to, like, sue me for something like pizza. If he's gonna sue me, I'd rather it be for something more outrageous like a car or... any other type of food really."

"Dude, trust me, he doesn't check. And even if he did, $25 for pizza isn't gonna break the bank."

Peter shrugs his acquiescence and hops over the back of the couch to find something to watch. Tony quickly joins him. He allows his protege, partner, whatever to blather on about whatever comes to his mind. The kid's got a motormouth and doesn't get to unload his thoughts to anyone else. Not to his parents, not to his teachers, not even to his "friends". So Peter's more than happy to be a listening ear or whatever the kid needs. _Because if he dies..._

_...That's on me._


	2. Refuge

Peter looks up from his laptop at the sound of his lock jiggling. His spidey-sense isn't spiking, so it must be...

"Hey, Peter!"

"Hey, Mr. Stark. I didn't know you were coming over today."

"Eh, got bored at home." Something's off about Tony's tone.

"Okay then. You're not gonna find much fun here, I'm working on a grant proposal."

"Well... it's still better than home," Tony shrugs, dropping his bag on the table and flopping onto the couch. "Wanna watch something?"

"Um, if I watch something I'm not gonna get anything done... so hell yeah, let's do this."

Peter keeps his laptop open on the side table and types a sentence every five minutes, but otherwise laughs along with Tony to the tune of Brooklyn 99. They binge their way through almost an entire season. (The Hulu/Spotify college student deal is the only reason Peter still has Hulu.) As the night drags on, Tony settles himself deeper into the couch. Peter doesn't mention it until it's past 10 o'clock, the time Tony's usually expected home. "So, uh... it's getting kinda late, kid."

Tony doesn't look away from the TV. "Mm hm."

"Are you thinking of heading home soon?"

"Why? Are you done with me already?" Tony jokes insincerely, looking a bit sour.

"No, not at all. You can spend the night if you want. I just don't want your parents worrying about you."

"Yeah right," he scoffs.

Peter is suddenly much more worried about his young charge. "What, uh, do you mean by that?"

"Nothing."

"IIIIIt doesn't seem like nothing."

"It's nothing, just drop it."

"Alright, alright, just... you know you can tell me anything, right?"

"...Yeah."

"Good."

They both watch Jake and Amy try to outwit each other onscreen while lost in thought. Peter waits until Charles interrupts before continuing. "So I take it you're sleeping over?"

"Um... if that's alright with you..."

"'Course it is! As long as you're okay with taking the couch."

"I'll live."

So Peter drops his concerns as the two work together to transform the couch into a blanket fort. Peter decides that the conversation he wants to have (and Tony stubbornly wants to avoid) can wait for another day.

~%~%~%~

"Peter! You home?"

"Yeah, buddy. I'm in fe bafroom," he says around his toothbrush.

"Okay. Can I stay over tonight?"

"Yeah, fafs fine." Peter finally leans over the sink to spit. "What's wrong? Parents already transformed your room into a gym?"

"Nah, they've got some shindig they're hosting tonight."

"And you're not invited?"

"Um, no."

"No? Is it not a kid thing or something?"

"Not really. My dad told me to make myself scarce, so..."

"Ah..." Peter scowls at himself in the mirror. Poor kid. Peter may be an orphan, but his aunt and uncle made sure he always knew he was wanted. "Well, you know where everything is. Make yourself at home, kid."

"Thanks, dude. Movie?"

"Um, how 'bout we tinker? I've got some ideas for Iron Man modifications."

"Oh, even better! I'll clear off the desk."

"'Kay. Don't do anything dangerous without me."

"No promises."

"Yes promises! Tony, we don't want a repeat of last month!"

~%~%~%~

Peter's super hearing picks up something in the middle of the night. It's faint but enough to pull him from his sleep. It sounds like someone... standing in front of his apartment door. They're not doing anything. Just standing. And every once and a while, their breathing is punctuated with a sniffle.

Internally groaning, Peter pushes himself out of bed. "This is what I get for staying in Queens..." He snags the baseball bat from beside his bedside table and quietly pads to the door. He would just use his webshooters, but then his secret would be out. Plus, spidey-sense says they're not dangerous.

Peter stops in front of the door, baseball bat slung over his shoulder. He yells through the door, "State your name and business!"

The mysterious figure's breath hitches, but they don't say a word.

"Come on, man. Do you have any idea how late it is?" Peter grumbles, leaning forward to look through the peep hole. _Hold on, is that..._

_Oh shit._

"Tony!" Peter gasps, tearing the locks off of door so he can fling it open. "What the hell, kid?! Are you alright?"

Tony just looks up at Peter with wet, red eyes. They're too empty for such a lively kid.

"Okay, I'll answer that for you. You're not okay. What's wrong?"

"Can I just come in?" Tony mumbles, rubbing his wrist.

"Y-Yeah, kid. Of course."

After closing the door, Peter leads Tony to the "kitchen table" (also known as the tall cardboard box that's been there since moving day). "Can I get you something warm to drink?"

Tony shakes his head, miserable.

"Okay then. Just trying to be a good host," Peter blabbers, filling the silence. He takes his seat across from the boy. "So what's got you down, partner?"

Tony shrugs, picking at the box's masking tape.

"I'm not gonna judge you, ya know. And I won't be mad. Well, probably won't. So just tell me, kid. I won't bite."

Tony refuses to look up at Peter. The tape is much more interesting, apparently.

"Come on, Tony. I know whatever's bothering you has been bothering you for a while now."

"More like my whole life," Tony mumbles, rolling his eyes. He goes back to rubbing his wrist.

"So... trouble at home?"

Tony shrugs again, confirming Peter's statement.

"Parents?"

"What? No."

"Mom or dad? Or both?"

"Neither. Would you stop?"

"What did he do to you?"

"Nothing! Peter-"

"Did he hurt you?"

"Dude, seriously-"

"Did he sprain your wrist, or did he just twist it?"

Finally, Tony stops. He flicks his eyes from Peter to his wrist, shocked. "H-How did you...?"

"I know you, kid. And I'm your friend. Friends can tell these things."

And that's the trigger that blows the dam. Tony covers his mouth to stifle a sob. After failing to choke it all back, he croaks, "I don't even know what I did this time. I-I was quiet, I did what he asked... What else does he want?"

Peter steps around to embrace his trembling protégé. "Let it out, kid."

Tony finally listens to Peter and lets it all fall out. "He's so demanding. All he wants is perfection. And even then, it's not enough. When will it be enough? When will I be _enough_?"

"If you're not enough for him, then screw him. He doesn't deserve you."

Tony just sniffles, squeezing his eyes shut against Peter's shoulder.

"You don't need to be perfect to be enough. Just be you. You're enough," Peter whispers.

The two sit in silence for a little while longer. Tony's the first to move. He doesn't lift his face until his tears have dried. The kid still looks embarrassed as he rubs his nose and clears his throat. "Can we just pretend that never happened?" he asks, eyes still red.

"I can't ignore it, kid. If your dad's beating up on you, it's abuse. And you know how Spider-man feels about criminals."

"This was just a one time thing, it's not a big deal."

"Tony, it's not often that I can say this, but you're wrong. Even if he's not physically hurting you, he's breaking you down mentally which is just as bad."

The teen sighs, looking properly exhausted. "Alright, just... don't do anything about it yet. I-I wanna see if I can solve this on my own. I'm Iron Man, I can do this."

"I have no doubts, kid. But if you need me, I'll be there. And if he tries anything else, Spider-man'll be there."

"Thanks, dude."

"It's really no problem. That's what friends are for."

Tony abruptly pulls away from Peter. "Alright, alright, no more emotions. Time for bed?"

"Eh, I'm not really tired. Wanna watch a movie?"

The kid grins and nods.


	3. Team Iron Man

Peter snatches his phone off his desk before its vibrations attract the attention of his boss. He glances toward the "doorway" of his cubical before putting his phone up to his ear. He usually follows the rules and keeps his phone on silent in his desk, but today he's expecting an important call. "Yello?"

"Peter, I have _so_ much to tell you!"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down, Mr. Stark. What are you going on about?"

" _Peter_."

"I'm joking, I'm joking," he chuckles, leaning back in his chair. "How was your first day at MIT?"

"It's amazing! I love my classes, the teachers actually know what they're talking about, th-the food in the dining hall is great."

"Wow, it sounds awesome so far."

"I really feel like I fit in here."

A warm feeling spreads in Peter's chest. He had hoped MIT would be good for his little friend. "That's really amazing, buddy. You made any friends yet?"

"Um, well, my roommate is cool."

 _Well, he's talked to one person more than I though he would._ "What's his name?"

"James."

"What's his major?"

"Aerospace engineering."

"Where's he from?"

"Uh, I don't know, I didn't ask."

"What does he like to do?"

"Long walks on the beach? I don't know, I just met him."

"I'm just making sure you're associating with good people. I wish I could have come up for move in day, so I could've vet this 'James' properly."

Tony laughs, but it sounds a little hollow.

"Did anything bad happen? Not everything can be rainbows and lollipops."

"Um, not really. Everyone's really nice, and-"

"Tony."

"...I miss New York. I miss Iron Man. I-I miss..."

The 15 year old doesn't need to finish his sentence. The _you_ is understood. "I get it, kid. You know you can call me whenever, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

~%~%~%~

Peter lifts an eyebrow as another voice joins Tony's in the background. "Is that your roommate?"

"Uh, yeah, Jim just got back from class."

"Put me on speaker, I wanna meet him," he says, shifting so he's sitting upright on his worn second-hand couch.

"What? No!"

"Why not?"

"It's weird."

"Oh, well, we can't have me ruining your reputation," Peter says, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Mr. Stark, I just want to talk to him."

"You can talk to him when you come visit me."

Peter sighs. "Kid..."

"Come on, just one weekend, please."

"You know I have work. I'm between projects, I can't take time off right now."

"Aren't you selling those pictures to the Bugle?"

"Well, yeah, but that's not a stable income."

"Boy, it must suck being poor. If only you had a rich friend willing to give you cash..."

"Tony, I already told you no."

"I don't care-"

"Tony."

The kid huffs. "Please come over? You can take one of Stark Industry's private jets. You can be here and back in one night."

 _Don't let him get you, Parker. He knows he's got you wrapped around his finger._ Peter sighs and rubs his eyes. _Goddamnn it, kid..._ "Alright, I'll come by."

"Yesss! This is gonna be epic, dude! I can't wait!"

"I don't know when yet, but I'll make the trip when I get some time."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

~%~%~%~

"...And this is where we come to get some sun on nice days."

"You mean procrastinate?"

"Yup."

Peter laughs and throws his arm around Tony's shoulders. "Oh, I've missed you, kiddo."

"Aw, wish I could say the same about you," Tony snarks, leaning into his mentor's embrace.

"Ha ha, laugh it up. Now, I believe there's someone I need to meet."

"Jimmy won't be back 'til later, but we can hang at the dorm until then."

"Sure, bud."

The two wait in the cramped room, falling back into their rapport easily. Peter looks over Tony's English paper, giving unqualified pointers and advice. Tony laughs at Peter's Spider-man stories, making jokes at the hero's expense. It's the most at ease Peter's felt in a long time.

Their easy atmosphere is interrupted by someone opening the door. The new kid doesn't look up from his phone when he says, "Hey, Tones."

"Hey, Rhodes. Uh, my friend from home is visiting," Tony says, acting nonchalant.

The kid finally looks up to see Peter. "Oh, hey, dude. I'm Jim Rhodes, Tony's roommate."

"Peter Parker. I've heard so much about you."

Peter holds out a hand for Jim to shake. The kid subtly gives him a quick once-over. Peter can practically read what's going through his mind. _Why is this 15 year old kid friends with a 30-ish year old man? Then again, this is Tony Stark we're talking about. This is just another day in the life._ "Oh, wow. That's either really flattering or really creepy," Jim responds.

"Nah, it's just that you're one of the only friends Tony's had in while."

"Peter!" Tony exclaims, slapping his mentor's shoulder.

"Don't you mean his only friend, period?" Jim shoots back to Tony's chagrin.

Peter grins as the kid's roommate playfully nudges Tony's arm, making sure the insecure kid doesn't take it to heart. In that moment, Peter approves. Jim's a good friend.

"You guys are mean," Tony pouts, crossing his arms petulantly.

"Oh, lighten up, sour puss," Peter says. "Quit stalling and get my blow up mattress ready."

"Why can't you do it?"

"My old bones aren't gonna be able to handle bending over. Now get crackin', young whippersnapper."

~%~%~%~

It's only a matter of time before Peter and Jim become brothers in arms, their mission objective at it's most simple being to protect Tony. Jim looks out for Tony at MIT, and Peter helps on the New York front. Jim wards off school bullies, and Peter keep the press on Iron Man's side in his absence. Jim makes sure Tony stays focused and does his school work, and Peter keeps his parents off his back. They're the perfect team.

It isn't until Thanksgiving that that dynamic duo take a loss. "I don't know what to do, Peter," Tony says through the phone. "My mom wants me home for a family dinner, but I really don't wanna be with my dad."

"Go to dinner to make your mom happy, then you can go out as Iron Man and pop over to my place for a bit. You know you're not gonna get out of family time."

"But Peterrrrrrr. I hate him."

"Me too, buddy. But you've only gotta play nice for a couple hours."

Tony flies in Thursday afternoon via private jet and gets driven to Stark Manor via private car. He updates Peter by text at every leg of the journey. He has to yell at the kid to put his phone down when he says that he's sitting at the dinner table. Peter tries not to worry when he doesn't receive a text for the next couple hours. Sure, he could be following Peter's orders, but honestly, when does that ever happen? Tony's not very good at following directions.

Peter starts when his phone vibrates on the coffee table. He swipes the green button and says, "Hello, how was dinner? Turkey taste good?"

"Um... Peter?"

He sits up quickly at Tony's delicate voice. "What happened?"

"Can you come pick me up?" he says, ignoring Peter's question.

"Yeah, of course. As Peter or Spider-man?"

"I don't care, just... please?"

"I'm coming, buddy," he says, rushing to slip on his shoes and throw on his jacket. "Are you in danger? Are you hurt?"

"No. Not anymore."

"Okay, Tony. I'm on my way now. Keep an eye out for my clunker, okay? Should I pick you up at the front gate or your bedroom window?"

"The gate's fine."

"Alright. Alright. So, uh, what's Jim doing for winter break?" Peter asks, changing the subject. He already knows the answer, but he knows it'll calm Tony down.

"Um, he's going to the Bahamas with his family. They actually love and care about him."

"Okay. You still down to hang out after finals? I should have some time off saved up. We can tinker to our hearts' content."

"Sounds fun, I guess."

"I'm sure if you ask Jimmy, he'll let you come with them."

"I wouldn't want to ruin his vacation."

"Tony-"

"Just get here!" Tony spits angrily before hanging up.

Peter curses and throws himself into the driver's seat. He prays his junker of car sticks it out as he speeds to Stark Manor. His tires squeal when he steps on the brakes as he passes a hunched up figure on the side of the road. He honks once, and Tony slowly uncurls to climb into the car. "Did you bring any of your stuff?" Peter asks, reaching over to brush a few snowflakes out of Tony's hair.

The kid frowns and slaps his hand away. "No. What does it matter."

"Kiddo, I don't know if you've noticed, but you're not gonna fit in any of my clothes. You might be a college man now, but you're still a shrimp."

"It doesn't matter! Just take me home."

Peter doesn't comment on Tony calling his apartment home. He just cranks the steering wheel to the left to make a u-turn on the quiet street. When they finally park, Peter waves Tony to lead the way up the stairs (elevator is broken again) so he can text his partner in crime discreetly. After locking the apartment door behind them, Peter steers Tony to the couch. He presses down on the kid's shoulders until he sits, then rushes to the kitchen to make some hot chocolate. Tony doesn't move until Peter drops down beside him, and even then it's only because of Newton's third law. "Here, buddy. Hot and fresh from the stove. Well, the microwave actually. Might want to let it cool. Don't want you to burn your mouth," Peter rambles, filling the silence with useless words. He's not used to silence when it comes to Tony. The kid doesn't have an off button.

They sit and sip, Peter talking enough for the both of them until there's a knock at the door. Peter jumps up and speed walks over to open the door for his surprise. The moment the door swings open, Jim asks, "Did you get him?"

"Yeah, he's on the couch." _Now please work your magic,_ Peter thinks to himself.

As soon as he heard Jim's voice, Tony had whipped around in his seat. "Rhodey?" he asks, his first utterance since the car ride to Queens.

"Yeah, Tones. Peter said you needed a spare set of clothes for the weekend, so I'm here to drop off your goody bag."

"Oh. Thanks," Tony says sullenly. He drops his eyes and shifts to face forward before Jim stops him.

"Hey, while I'm here, wanna take a walk? I feel like I need to stretch my legs after that flight. They don't give you any leg room nowadays. But I guess you wouldn't know that, huh, Mr. Billionaire?" Jim says, expertly maneuvering around the couch to pull Tony to his feet and escort him to the door. Peter's pretty sure Tony doesn't even realize that his friend is herding him like a dog would a frightened lamb.

Peter smiles his thanks to Jim over Tony's shoulder as he closes the door behind them. There's just some things a best friend is better suited for than a mentor is. It isn't until late that the pair asked to be buzzed up. Tony's eyes are red and feet are dragging, but Peter doesn't say anything. He merely points the kid in the direction of his bed, and Tony flops onto it on his own accord. He takes the time to kick his shoes off then rolls over and passes out. Peter ushers Jim into the hallway, about ask what happened, but he beats him to it.

"Tony talked back to his father at the dinner table in front of basically every important SI person. Howard laughed it off, but he later not-so-subtly brought up Tony's quote-unquote 'failure' to reach the top of his class at MIT. Tony was rightfully humiliated. To make matters worse, Howard cornered him after dinner and gave him a stern talking to in his study over the rim of a whiskey glass."

Peter clenches his fist. "Did he hit him?"

"Tony didn't say, but... I think it's safe to assume."

"Right." Peter sucks in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "Thanks for coming, Jim. I know it's Thanksgiving and super last minute, but-"

"Don't worry about it. Tony's my friend. That's all there is to it."

"Alright, let's head back in. You're on the couch tonight."

"Oh, I can just get a hotel room or something."

"No, no, save your money. You're a student, for god's sakes. Come on, it'll be like a sleepover."

"Alright... But where are you gonna sleep?"

"Don't worry about me. I've got a plan."

And so Tony and Jim sleep soundly in Queens, completely unaware of Peter's late night/early morning exploits in the suburbs. The three have a quiet morning with the Black Friday sun streaming through Peter's tiny window. Tony turns his phone off when it won't stop buzzing. He misses multiple calls from his father, asking how he knows Spider-man and why the vigilante decided to web up the entire mansion. It'll take weeks to clean up. What Howard doesn't tell Tony is that Spider-man broke into the man's closet and webbed a message to his accessories cabinet.

 _Don't ever try it again. I'll know._ reads the sticky note stuck to the glass pane in front of his very expensive belts.

There's just some things Spider-man is better suited for than a best friend is. So when Tony laughs loud and clear over his morning coffee, Peter and Jim share a grateful smile. They make a good team. And as long as Tony's happy, they'll continue to be.


End file.
